[Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in hand surgery]

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) acts as an acoustic wave via momentum transfer and mechanotransduction in a plethora of regenerative ways. Scaphoid non-unions benefit from high-energetic focused ESWT. In lunate necrosis aka Morbus Kienböck focused high-energetic ESWT can reduce pain and improve MRI. In CMC 1 osteoarthritis focused ESWT appears to be clinically equal to intraarticular ultrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injection with more pronounced effects 6 months after therapy in the ESWT group. Tendinopathies of the hand can be treated with both, radial and focused ESWT, especially in symptomatic trigger finger and de Quervain tendinopathy. In symptomatic painful Dupuytren disease, focused high-energetic ESWT can reduce pain and slow down progression of the disease.